Are you counting days now? So are we because the much-awaited festival is here. Christmas bells are ringing and the tall, green branches of the pine trees are laden with colourful and shining hangings. Every evening, I light up the tree and the way it glows in the dark leaves me awestruck. The smell of festivity is in the air and baking is already in full swing. From cakes to pies and tarts, the kitchen is devoured with the aroma of nutmeg, plums, dried fruits, eggs and milk. The meaty delicacies like ham and turkey as also being braised and stuffed with interesting ingredients to get a flavourful dish ready for the guests.
The plum pudding is a significant part of the Christmas feast. Pudding has been a tradition since ages. For the unversed, a pudding is a soft baked dessert that is thick and creamy. They can be cold or hot, sweet or savoury, although today most puddings are categorized as desserts. This wasn’t the case earlier. The puddings of 14th century Britain were closer to porridge, with a soupy texture and a meaty preparation of beef and raisins. It was only later that the pudding acquired the status of being a sweet dish as dried fruits were introduced to it.
That’s when the plum pudding came into being. The significance of this pudding lies in the fact that it is made with 13 ingredients which symbolize Christ and his 12 apostles. The ritual associated with this pudding is that each member of the family mixes the pudding with a spoon in east to west movement and this marks the journey of the three wise men.
Little did we know that plum pudding is not the only pudding that can be relished on Christmas day. If you’re looking for other ideas, here are a few festive puddings that you can bake at home this holiday season.
1. Caramel Pear Pudding
Welcome the Christmas feeling with a fruity pudding this year. The freshly plucked pears are laden with a sweet caramel which are bound together to form a sticky and chunky pudding. The strong hints of cinnamon along with butter and brown sugar make this brown-coloured pudding a heavenly treat.
2. Panettone Pudding
Panettone, for the unversed, is special Christmas and New Year special that is eaten in several parts of Europe and China. This Italian sweet bread is round in shape and towered with raisins, almonds and citrus fruits. The soft and buttery taste of the bread is what makes it so delicious. Instead of baking the bread this year, you can bake a panettone pudding. For that, you would need thick slices of panettone along with some spiced and poached cherries on the side. This dessert is best eaten when chilled.
3. Guard’s Pudding
The specialty of this pudding is the fact that it is steamed and not baked. The English pudding is made from breadcrumbs, eggs, sugar and jam. Flour is not involved in the making of this delectable Christmas pudding. It is easy-to-make, requires very basic ingredients and is not much of a hassle. Serve it with a side of fresh cream and enhance the taste of the pudding.
4. Gingerbread Pudding
For those who are aware of Christmas traditions, you know how intrinsic gingerbread is to the festive eats along with candy canes and other tidbits. This gingerbread flavoured pudding is a star when it comes to Christmas celebration. Baked into a moist molten cake, doused with maple syrup, the gooey pudding is crumbled and sweetened with molasses.
5. Sticky Toffee Pudding
Bring out all those stored dates into action and make the most of them with this sticky toffee pudding. Shaped like a plum cake, the pudding is speckled with dates and ground ginger. The sticky texture of the pudding is a delight to the taste buds.
6. Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Pumpkin is the epitome of holiday season, do you agree? This vegetable is not only associated with Halloween but also used extensively across the holiday season for baking cakes, pies, tarts and more. This pumpkin pie pudding is a rendition of just that. With the flavours of pumpkin spice mix along with milk, sugar and eggs, the orange pudding is served with a side of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.